MILAN - Italian designers turned the clock back for menswear during Milan's fashion week, which ended on Wednesday, and pulled out pocket handkerchiefs, neck scarves and waistcoats to create timeless styles for next spring.
Gucci's Frida Giannini was inspired by Italian 1950s Cinecitta films and the French actor Jean-Paul Belmondo for her collection, while Belstaff, best known for its tough biker jackets, followed in the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia.
Valentino Garavani's 45-year-old label chose "historical themes of the maison" to give a colonial flavor to his presentation, which included an old-world burlesque show complete with topless dancers.
Waistcoats were winners with many designers, whether classically supporting a suit or worn alone.
Grand man of Italian fashion Giorgio Armani turned the waistcoat into a sexy sleeveless top by giving it a shawl collar and running it unbuttoned down to a broad waistband.
Gianfranco Ferre, who died on June 17 just a week before his show, adapted a traditional dress shirt front into a waistcoat while at Belstaff, the waistcoats were egg white linen under a white loose cut suit.
Donatella Versace pared her waistcoats down to a T at the back for her Versace label and dynamic duo Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce, inspired by rock stars in their D&G collection, sprinkled a waistcoat front with sparkling metal beading.
NO REASON FOR SEASONS?
Down at the beach, baggy bermudas or drill cotton shorts with turn-ups were in vogue, although Belstaff struck out with a blue and red check sarong and Dolce & Gabbana stripped off to mini swimming trunks.
Designers plumped largely for classic summer colors -- creams, whites, pale grays and pastels, with splashes of summer sky blue and sun yellow, while fabrics were focused on cottons and linens.
Miuccia Prada was an exception, turning out her models in wool and silk for botanical prints and purpled plaids.
"That was one of my evil obsessions," she said of her use of wool in the designs.
Prada highlighted another trend at the shows -- recognizing the growing irrelevance of the spring/summer and autumn/winter fashion agenda.
"I don't believe the idea of the seasons ... you serve people in the north, people in the south, a lot of customers," she said.
Several designers worked to provide clothes that could adapt to temperature changes, including Bottega Veneta with detachable collars and sleeves, and Versace who provided shirts which could double up as jackets and trench coats pared back to a jacket.
And even accessories were changeable. Ferre's parting gift to men with more money than space was a capacious leather bag that folded into a flat rectangle to hang snug against the hip.
